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Scottish Greens pledge nationwide roll-out of safe drug consumption rooms The Scottish Greens have pledged to roll out safe drug consumption rooms across Scotland as part of their election manifesto, due to be published…

Exc: Scottish Greens pledge a nationwide rollout of safe drug consumption rooms.

Policy wil be included in the party's Holyrood election manifesto to be launched on Tuesday.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2601339...

Emergency plan and restrictions explained

www.heraldscotland.com/news...

@kathleennutt.bsky.social

Subscribe to Unspun: Election Briefing, The Herald's new politics newsletter: www.heraldscotland.com/news...

@andrewlearmonth.bsky.social @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social @kathleennutt.bsky.social @hannahmargbrown.bsky.social

'Dangerous and delusional': Union blasts SNP's plan to thousands of jobs Unison's Scottish leader Lilian Macer has warned Scottish Government plans which experts say would axe nearly 20,000 jobs are "dangerous"…

Exc: @unisonscot leader Lilian Macer has warned Scottish Government plans for mass job losses across the public sector would have a 'catastrophic impact' on the quality of already struggling services.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2600813...

Ross Greer denies Scottish Greens making election win easier for SNP Ross Greer has denied the Scottish Greens are making a Holyrood election win easier for the SNP by his party's decision to stand in just six…

Exc: Greens to stand in six constituency seats (cf 12 in 2021) as they focus on gaining more MSPs via the regional ballot.

Party most hopeful of getting its first ever constituency MSPs in Glasgow Southside & Edinburgh Central.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2597217...

Sturgeon SNP voters switching to Greens, says Gillian Mackay Young women who supported the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon's leadership are switching their political support to the Scottish Greens, according to…

Young women voters who backed the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon's leadership are now moving to the Scottish Greens, @gillianmackaygreen.bsky.social
tells reporters at her party's campaign launch.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2597106...

Inside John Curtice's latest election briefing - insights and forecasts Hundreds of investors, businesses, civil servants and local government officials gathered today in Glasgow for the annual conference of the Scottish…

Lots of interesting polling insights from Sir John Curtice during his talk today to the Scottish Property Federation's conference.

Who is on course to win on May 7, who may come second, could there be a new BHA?

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2594470...

Swinney warns of 'difficult decisions' over Union Street building restoration John Swinney was unable to say if a building which was gutted in a fire on Union Street in Glasgow will be faithfully restored as it was built as he…

John Swinney warned of 'difficult decisions' over restoring Union Street building when pressed today in Holyrood by @paulsweeney.bsky.social if the 19th century building gutted by Sunday's fire will be faithfully restored.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2592481...

Diplomat in stark warning over university's plans to cut language courses A diplomat has issued a stark warning over Heriot-Watt University's plans to axe German as an undergraduate course as the UK prepares to rejoin…

Exc: A senior European diplomat has warned of a university's plans to cut language courses just as the UK is preparing to rejoin the EU's Erasmus scheme.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/wes...

Analysis: Can the Scottish Greens benefit from the Polanski bounce in England? The Scottish Greens have set their sights on beating Scottish Labour in May.

Unspun: Can the Scottish Greens benefit from the Greens' bounce in England?

Analysis in the wake of Hannah Spencer's by-election victory and what it might mean for Scotland.

Party has sights on Glasgow Southside come May 7.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2590400...

Cost of maternity negligence claims in Scotland revealed by The Herald Nearly £100m has been paid out by NHS Scotland in maternity and obstetric negligence claims over five years, FOI data obtained by The Herald…

EXC: Nearly £100m has been paid out by NHS Scotland in maternity negligence claims over past 5 years, an investigation by
@hannahmargbrown.bsky.social reveals.

Lead story in @heraldscotland.bsky.social new in-depth series on country's maternity services.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2585776...

SNP would be taking 'a huge step backwards' if it does a deal with Lib Dems The SNP would be taking 'a huge step backwards' if it does a governing deal with the Lib Dems after the election, according to the Scottish Greens…

EXC: Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer says the SNP would be taking a 'huge step backwards' if it does a governing deal with the Lib Dems after the May election.

He added SNP members would 'not put up' with it.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2587444...

Greens candidate will work to lift Holyrood's trans toilet ban if elected in May Scottish Greens Holyrood candidate Iris Duane has pledged she will try to persuade the Scottish Parliament to lift its ban on trans people using…

EXC: Greens candidate @irisduane.bsky.social has promised to try to persuade Holyrood chiefs to lift a ban on trans people using toilets in their lived gender in the building if she is elected an MSP in May.

Story here:

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2583999...

Analysis: Angry attacks: Why is the debate around Regan's bill so toxic? Why exactly is the debate around Ash Regan's "Unbuyable Bill" so toxic?

Unspun: My analysis of the public discourse around Ash Regan's prostitution bill (written ahead of last night's vote in Holyrood which saw the bill defeated).

'Why did the debate around the Unbuyable Bill become so toxic?'

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2582172...

Police Scotland estimate Ash Regan bill may cost taxpayers up to £321m a year Police Scotland have warned Ash Regan's prostitution bill could cost up to £320 million to taxpayers.

EXC: Police Scotland give updated estimated costings for Ash Regan's Unbuyable bill saying its proposals could cost public purse up to £312million a year if they become law.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2581872...

SNP minister sets out position on Regan prostitution bill ahead of key vote The Scottish Government will not support Ash Regan's bill in a key vote in Holyrood tomorrow.

New: The Scottish Government will not back Ash Regan's 'Unbuyable bill' on Tuesday in a key Holyrood vote.

SNP minister Siobhian Brown set out the position in letter to criminal justice committee earlier today.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2581664...

John Swinney defends independence push after Trump's threats over Greenland First Minister John Swinney defended his government's push for independence amid increasing global tensions and uncertainty.

John Swinney has defended his election push for independence in the wake of Donald Trump's Greenland threats and global turmoil.

He set out his views following a major speech on international affairs.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/wes...

Analysis: Why top earners would benefit most from Reform's income tax cuts Malcolm Offord promised if Reform UK took power in Holyrood its first move on income tax would be to realign Scotland’s rates and bands with those…

Scotland's top earners would benefit most from Reform UK's income tax cuts - while those on lower salaries much less, calculations by two think tanks have revealed.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

Analysis for Unspun here:

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2580100...

Reform UK income tax cuts 'would slash welfare and public services' for Scots Reform UK's income tax cuts would mean cuts to welfare benefits and public services and benefit highest earners most, according to an analysis by a…

The IFS has assessed Reform UK income tax cuts pledge.

"Scotland can have lower taxes if it chooses to – but would require a reduction in the range & scope of public services & social security benefits provided to residents.”

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2579971...

Greens unveil election candidate for Glasgow seat amid Duncan-Glancy controversy The Scottish Greens have announced local activist Iris Duane as their candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency, an area where the…

EXC: Scottish Greens unveil Iris Duane as their candidate for Glasgow Kelvin & Maryhill where Labour's Pam Duncan-Glancy was forced to withdraw.

If elected Ms Duane would be the first openly transwoman to become an MSP.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2577770...

Ex SNP minister calls for FM to apologise over failure to disclose Sturgeon files Fergus Ewing has called for John Swinney to apologise to a transparency campaigner for the Scottish Government spending five years blocking his…

EXC: Former SNP minister Fergus Ewing has urged John Swinney to apologise for not releasing files on a probe into Nicola Sturgeon amid a FOI battle with a Scot who first made his request for info in April 2021.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2577534...

The Herald on X: "Get 12 months of The Herald for just £20 in our January sale 🚨 Subscribe HERE: https://t.co/9KzIKmQHdf https://t.co/v1agLFUHwA" / X Get 12 months of The Herald for just £20 in our January sale 🚨 Subscribe HERE: https://t.co/9KzIKmQHdf https://t.co/v1agLFUHwA

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Analysis: So what’s behind Swinney’s move to stop secret Sturgeon files release? SNP ministers launched a court bid to appeal against a ruling that evidence given to a probe into Nicola Sturgeon's handling of complaints made…

What's behind the SG's decision to go to court to block release of files from Nicola Sturgeon probe after watchdog said some files should be released?

SG say making files public would be in contempt of court.

But critics disagree.

My analysis here:

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2575942...

A total of 120 women, men and non-binary people, all working in the sex industry in Scotland, have signed an open letter urging MSPs to oppose Ash Regan's bill

www.heraldscotland.com/news...

@kathleennutt.bsky.social

𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘸/𝘗𝘈 𝘞𝘪𝘳𝘦/𝘗𝘈 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴

'Happier than ever': Has Nicola Sturgeon already checked out of politics? Nicola Sturgeon resigned dramatically as First Minister three years ago. What has she done since and has she essentially already bowed out of…

What has Nicola Sturgeon done since standing down from office almost 3 years ago? Has she moved on frontline politics despite being an MSP? And how do her post FM activities compare with those of her predecessors and successor?

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2575475...

'Hostile place': Holyrood is not a welcoming environment says MSP exiting in May SNP MSP Elena Whitham has described Holyrood as a 'hostile place' as she revealed she had always assumed she would stand again after she was first…

Exc: @elenawhitham.bsky.social assumed she would stand again for Holyrood but after being elected in 2021 she told me why she is to bow out.

She is one of 39 MSPs who are leaving - raising
questions over our political culture.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2570942...

Secret files reveal auditor's concern as bids to hire interim HES leader blocked Angus Robertson's top civil servant blocked moves to recruit an interim leader for Historic Environment Scotland meaning the troubled agency was…

EXC: The SG's heritage agency was left with no leader for 5 months after a top civil servant blocked bids to hire an interim CEO when new CEO went on sick leave, leaked emails show.

Matter now subject of Audit Scotland probe.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2569490...

Greens call for end to blanket ban on trans people using single sex spaces SNP ministers are being called on to bring in policies to help trans people including lifting blanket bans in place on the use of single sex spaces…

EXC: The Scottish Greens' Patrick Harvie has called
on SG minister Jenny Minto to step up support for trans people. He told her "to be confident this cross party support is something you can rely on in the face of significant hostility from other quarters".

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2569480...

Leaked emails reveal warnings to government of heritage agency leadership crisis Leaked emails reveal the government was warned for months about an escalating leadership crisis at the Scottish Government's troubled heritage…

EXC: Leaked emails detail a build up to an 'escalating crisis' over the leadership of heritage agency Historic Environment Scotland.

SG first warned by board of 'governance issues' in February, correspondence reveals.

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2569197...